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Peter loved kids and they returned that affection, often begging him to play their favourite games.

One mother was so impressed with Peter that she employed him to babysit her three and a half year old daughter as well.

Keen to stay on after his community service had concluded, Peter applied for the New Zealand Child Care Association's training course and in March 1987, Gay Davidson recommended him for a permanent position.

However, there had been some issues that Gay had to pull Peter up on.

Although he was renowned for his sharp wit, sometimes his jokes verged on mean, particularly when directed at his colleagues.

He was fond of a drink and had been known to sometimes drink too much.

He loved his job but had trouble with authority sometimes.

And while he enjoyed playing games with the kids, he had a tendency to overdo it at times.

Peter became known for the mattress game, an activity where he laid a mattress on the floor and lined children up in front of it.

Then he'd hurl another mattress at them, tossing them backwards to be sandwiched between the two mattresses.

The kids loved it and begged Peter to play the game, but after a couple of children knocked heads, Gay Davidson told Peter to stop.

That wasn't the only boisterous game Peter initiated.

Another time, he'd hung a little boy off the creche's picket fence by his overalls, while a group of other kids clamoured for him to hang them up too.

Again, Gay told him that such activities weren't appropriate.

He was great with kids and knew how to make them laugh, but he didn't always have the most sensitive approach.

In February 1989, Peter had been issued a warning for not consoling a child who was crying, for using excessive physical force and for being overly sarcastic in a way that confused children.

Peter disputed the details of this warning and there were no further issues after that.

Overall, Gay had been very happy with Peter as a colleague.

Now, she found herself torn between wanting to support him and wondering whether there might be a reason she shouldn't.

Peter Ellis was notified of the allegations and put on leave, while a hearing was scheduled for the following Monday, November 25.